Dr. Gleb Tsipursky – The Office Whisperer
Nirit Cohen – WorkFutures
Angela Howard – Culture Expert
Drew Jones – Design & Innovation
Jonathan Price – CRE & Flex Expert
- Global life satisfaction fell again in 2024, with only 33% of workers describing themselves as thriving.
- Manager engagement dropped to 27%, which threatens team performance and overall workplace health.
- Burnout and disengagement are driving losses in productivity and must be treated as business priorities.
Behind record-low engagement and rising stress levels lies a deeper truth: work bleeding outside of the office is taking a steep toll on people’s lives.
It is now clear that the modern workplace is entering a crisis of well-being. According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report, global life satisfaction declined for the second year in a row. Only 33% of employees describe themselves as “thriving,” while disengagement, stress, and emotional fatigue continue to rise across industries.
At the heart of the problem is that work is actively diminishing the quality of life for many people.
Engagement is falling, and it’s taking well-being with it
Global employee engagement fell to 21% in 2024, the first decline in four years. That dip represents a significant backslide for organizations already struggling to keep teams connected, motivated, and productive.
Managers are feeling the strain most. Their engagement dropped from 30% to 27%, with younger and female managers experiencing the steepest falls. Since managers account for 70% of a team’s engagement, this drop has a direct impact on every layer of the workforce.
“Manager engagement is the key to reversing declining productivity, improving employee wellbeing and unlocking trillions in economic potential,” according to the report.
Behind these low engagement numbers are stories of exhaustion and emotional burnout. One respondent from the U.S. reported working 9 to 10 hours straight without a break. Another in Germany said they were physically tired but unable to sleep.
This is as much of a workplace issue as it is a life satisfaction emergency.
Disengaged teams, lost productivity, and rising emotional strain
Gallup estimates that disengagement at work cost the global economy $438 billion in lost productivity last year, but that figure only scratches the surface of what is being lost — the emotional toll is harder to quantify and far more damaging in the long run.
Globally, only one in three employees say they are thriving. In countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, well-being has taken a sharp hit. The culprits are familiar: rising cost of living, unrelenting workloads, and the emotional fallout of disconnected work environments.
Loneliness, stress, and daily sadness are increasingly common. This is no longer about “quiet quitting” or underperformance, but rather about workers struggling to function on a human level.
There is hope, and it lies in rethinking how companies can support employees. Engaged workers are 1.5 times more likely to thrive in life, and this impact goes beyond morale. It plays a crucial role in retention, innovation, and the overall health of the organization.
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Productivity starts with people
Gallup estimates that a fully engaged global workforce could unlock $9.6 trillion in productivity. That is the equivalent of nearly 9% of global GDP, but that kind of opportunity requires a cultural reset.
Society needs to stop viewing well-being as a perk and start seeing it as a strategy. Employee satisfaction, retention, and resilience are built from the inside out, which begins with better support for managers and more humane expectations across the board.
The future of work is deeply personal
In our hyper-connected world, work shows up in every corner of life, shaping our moods, our energy, and our relationships. When work becomes a source of stress instead of fulfillment, the impact spreads far beyond office walls.
If leaders want stronger companies, they need healthier employees. That starts by recognizing that work is not separate from life. It is a part of life, and right now, it is taking too much from too many.
Well-being can no longer be treated as a soft benefit or a side initiative, and instead must be built into the core of how organizations operate. Prioritizing mental health, emotional resilience, and sustainable workloads is as compassionate as it is strategic.
